Rock Island daily Argus., 1887-11-05
CHAPTER II.


CHAPTER II.
at is one fact, sir, that am widow she
said. at is another fact that I'm going to
be married again in weeks time"
There she paused and smiled at some
thought that occurred to her. DR.. Wybrow
was not favorably impressed by her smil -
there was something at once sad and cruel in
it. 1t came slowly and it went away sud
denly, He began 70 doubt whether he had
been wise in acting on his first impression
His mind reverted u the commonplace pa
tients and the discoverable maladies that
were waiting for him, with a certain tender
regret.
The lady went on:
My approaching marriage she said, has
one embarrassing circumstance connected
with it, The gentleman whose wife | am to
be was engaged to smother lady when he hap
pened to meet with me, abroad-that lady,
mind, being of his own blood and family. re-
lated to him as his cousin. have innocently
robbed her OF her lover and DESTROYED her
prospects in life. Innocently, say-because
he told me nothing of his engagement until
after l had accepted him. When we next
met in England-and when there was danger.
no doubt of the affair coming to my knowl-
edge-he told me the truth. | was naturally
indignant He had his excuse ready. He
showed me letter from the lady herself re-
leasing him from his engagement. more
noble, q more high minded letter never read
in my life | cried over it-l who have no
tears in me for sorrows of my owul If the
letter had left him any hope of being forgiven
l would have positively refused to marry
him. But the frmness of it-without anger.
without word of reproach, with heartfelt
wishes even for his happness--the firmness of
it, l say, left him no hope. He appealed TO my
compassion; he appealed to his love for me-
You know what women are was too soft
hearted. said, Very well; yesf So it ended
In week more q tremhle as | repeat it, we
are to be married
She did really tremhle-she was obliged to
pause and compose herself, before she could
go on. The doctor, waiting for more facts,
began To fear that he stood committed to
long story.
"Forgive me for reminding you that have
suffering persons waiting TO See me" ne said
1.-THE sooner you can come to the point the
better for my patients and for me"
The strange smile-at once 50 sad and so
cruel showed itself again on the lady's lips
Every word have said is to the point" "
she answered You will see 1t yourself IL
q moment more"
She resumed her narrative
"Yesterday-you need fear no long story
sir; only yestersiay-I was among the visit
ors at one of your English luncheon parties
A lady, q perfect stranger to me, came in
late-after we had left the table, and had
retired to the drawing room She happened
TO take q chair near me; and we were pre-
sented to each other. knew her by uaH.e,
as she knew me. 1t was the woman whom l
had robbed of her lover, the woman who had
written the noble letter. Now listen! you
were impatient with me for not interesting
you i'll what | said just now. I said it to
satisfy your mind that / had no enmity of
feeling toward the lady, on my side. ! ad
mired her, l felt for her-I had no cause to
reproach myself. This is very important as
you will presently see On her side. l have
reason to be assured that the circumstances
had been truly explained to her, and that she
understood | was in no way to blame. Now,
knowing all these necessary things as you do,
explain to me, If You can, why, when l rose
and met that womans eyes looking at me,
turned cold from head to foot, and shud-
dered, and shivered, and knew what q deadly
panic fear was, for the first time in my life.n
The doctor began to feel interested at last.
"Was there anything remarkable in the
lady's personal appearancef" he asked.
Nothing whateverg" was the vehement re-
ply. "Here is the true description of her:
- iich lSdr thn f,,i1
blue eyes, the fine rosy complexion. the inani-
mately polite manner, the large good humored
mouth, the too plump cheeks and chin; these,
and nothing more"
@Was there anything in her expression,
when you first looked at her, that too& you
by surpriser
"There was natural curiosity to see the
woman who had been preferred to her; and
perhaps some astonishment also, rot to see
more engaging and more beautiful person;
both those feelings restrained within the
limits of good breeding, and both not lasting
for more than few moments-so far as |
could see. / say, so far because the horrible
agitation that she communicated to me dis.
turbed my judgment. If could have got to
the door | would have run out O. the room,
she frightened me sol ] was not even able to
stand up--l sunk back in my chair; stared
horror struck at the calm blue eyes that were
only looking at me with gentle surprise To
say they affected me like the eyes of a serpent
is to say nothing. l felt her soul In them,
looking into mine-looking, if such thing
can be, unconsciously to her own maxtal self
tell you my impression, in all its horror aud
in all its follyl That woman Is destined
iuyfth lTR - h.
genius of my life. Her innocent eyes saw
hidden capabilities of my wickedness in me
that was not aware Of myself, until l felt
them stirring under her look. If commit
faults in my life to corne-if am even guilty
Of crimes-she will bring the retribution,
without las | firmly believe) any conscious
exercise Of her own will In one in
describable moment felt all this-and SUD-
pose my face showed it. The good, artless
creature was inspired by sort of gentle.
alarm for me. Il am afraid that the heat of
the room is too much for you; will YOU try
my smelling bottleF l heard her say those
kind words; and remember nothing else
tainted. When l recovered my senses the
company had gone; only the lady of the
house was with me- For the moment could
say nothing to her; the dreadful impression
that / have tried to describe to you came
back to me with the coming back of my life.
As soon as | could speak inplored her to
tell me the whole truth about the woman l
had supplanted. You see, had faint hope
that her good character might not really be
deserved, that her noble letter was a skillful
piece of hypocrisy-in short, that she secretly
hated me and was cunning enough to hide it.
Nn1 fhe Id k,1 h.. 81, L
girlhood, was as familiar with her as if they
had been sisters-knew her positively to be as
good, as innocent, as incapable Of hating any
oody, as the greatest saint that ever lived.
MY one last hope, that had only felt an or
binary forewarning of danger in the pres
ence oil an ordinary enemy, was hope de-
Stroyed forever. There was one more effort
l could make, and l made it. went next to
the man whom ] am to marry.
implored him to release me from
L L